New Tablet!

I got this fantastic Bamboo Fun tablet from Wacom for Christmas and I just set it up. I thought it would be cool but I had no idea *how* cool. Holy crap! How did I live without one for all this time?

It came bundled with Corel Painter Essentials and after watching the video tutorials that came with registering I started sketching. Here are the first two things I drew.



These are by no means finished sketches but I was just messing around. I still can't quite grasp how easy they were to do though. This first one was sketched with pencil and then filled in and colored with the watercolor brush. So fun!



This one was drawn with pencil and colored in with crayon because I could. I know these are both really rough but compared to things I've attempted to draw with a mouse, they are almost exactly what my hands were trying to do. I'm an impatient sketcher as it is, even with real paper so to be able to get my ideas down digitally so quickly is just awesome.

I probably should stop bubbling with effusive praise before I really learn the ins and outs of both the tablet itself and the nifty software that came with it but really, this is just too fun to keep to myself. I'm going to go draw some more now!

sad pumpkin in snow

1028081603.jpg - Gmail

the sad pumpkin got snowed on today. poor punkin.

Venting.

I really should finish my commentary on Otakon before changing topics but I've already put comments on my pictures at picasaweb and I just don't have much more to say beyond "I had a great time, and cosplay is addictive!" Besides, right now, what I really need to do is vent.

I love my job. I've said it before and I'll say it again. This really is the best job ever. I really enjoy seeing and talking to a very diverse cross section of the people who both live in this country and just come to visit. I have always tried my best not to judge people by their ethnicity or background. I try not to be prejudiced because people who are disgust me.

That said, I have come to realize that I get angry with people who so thoroughly live up to the negative stereotypes of their particular group that, for a brief moment, I can understand where such prejudice and hatred come from. I get angry with the individuals and not the group because I know that the majority are not like that. The individuals are just perpetuating the stereotype. Yet I still get angry because I can see that those others around me, who are, perhaps, not so accepting of differences in others, are filing these individuals away in their minds as further proof that their general hatred and prejudice are valid and that all x people are really like that.

It is frustrating to me because I generally try to be a nice person and such people make me want to be very terse and rude in order to get them to leave more quickly. I can recognize this and then I get mad at myself for wanting to be rude to them. I have to make a conscious effort to remain polite.

As is easily inferred by the fact that I'm posting this now, I had such an experience today. In fact, the people are still here, still living up to every negative stereotype I've ever heard of, and still making me angry with myself for wanting to be rude to them. I just want to go home now.

Sometimes I just want to shake people and say "this is why so many people dislike your people!" *sigh*

Update: As I was writing this, another group of people (of the same ethnicity as the annoying ones) came in and were the sweetest, nicest people. They noticed how annoying the first group was and gave them an exasperated look. Just that look has made my day suck a little less. I have ten minutes more left in my work day. I think I can stop looking at the clock now.

Otakon! woo!

Comin' at you from Otakon in Baltimore's inner harbor!

Jessy and Shannon as June and Marcy from Katamari Damacy!


Wow. Our costumes were a smash hit. I think my picture was taken more in three hours than it has been in my entire life. Amazing! We only came back to the hotel because our shoes *suck* so badly. We'll be back out tomorrow but there will be birkenstocks hidden in our heads. I also want to get more pictures of us together. This is about the coolest thing I think I've ever done in my entire life. I had so much fun this morning! I'd have loved to stay out all day save for the shoe situation. Definitely be around longer tomorrow I think.

I love Otakon. Where else can you spend the morning wandering around with a huge pill on your head, go back to a hotel room that costs as much as a plane ticket to san francisco to eat pasta salad with chopsticks, and then go right back out again as a "normal" person? God this is so fun! Cosplay is addictive.

Rolling on down to Baltimore

June is ready to roll:)

Just about to leave my house. Will probably be blogging from the con itself too but wow am I excited!

I'm still amazed at how well it came out. Particularly since this is the first time I'd used a sewing machine since the mandatory sewing class in eighth grade.

gah! so excited!